Indicator for carbid-receptacles and the like.



W. P. SHAW.

- INDICATOR FOR GARBID RECEPTACLES AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 30, 1913.

1,1 1 9,545. Patented Dec. 1,1914.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM F. SHAW, 0F VOORHEESVILLE, NEW YORK.

INDICATOR FOR CARBIID-REGEPTACLES AND THE LIKE.

Application filed June so, 1913. Serial No. 77G,690.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM F. SHAW, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Voorheesville, in the county of Albany and State of New York, have. invented certain to ascertain, except by removal of the cover or lid thereof, when recharging is required. The carbid within the receptacle is usually delivered in measured quantities into the gas-generating chamber, such delivery being controlled in various ways, all of which is old. .The cover or lid of the receptacle is usually connected to mechanism which closes the gasgenerating chamber against the escape of gas through the carbid receptacle, such precautionary mechanism being required by insurance underwriters before the generator is considered salable. Moreover, the cover or lid is fastened and sealed against the escape of gas and by reason of this and the use of controlling mechanism, such as referred to, time and effort are required to arrange the several parts for placing the receptacle in carbid, such time and effort being often spent uselessly, due to the fact that it is impossible to ascertain, otherwise than by removing the cover or lid, whether or not recharging is required.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide an indicating device which will indicate when recharging is necessary and which will also dispense with the useless removal of the cover or lid, as now required.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a device of this character which can be retained in inactive or inoperative position while charging or recharging a receptacle; which is easily manipulated and inexpensive and accurate.

With these objects in view, my invention relates to carbid receptacles having means for indicating when recharging is necessary; it also consists in the novel features of construction and combination and arrangement Specification of Letters Patent.

condition for receiving the of simple construction,

Patented Dec. 1, 1914.

of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings in which similar numerals of reference'refer to similar parts in bothfigures, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a carbld receptacle equipped with my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, the section part being taken on line (1-0, Fig. 1.

The reference numeral 3 designates the carbid receptacle which usually surmounts a gas generator, the flange 4; shown at the lower end of the neck 5 being bolted onto a companion flange of the gas-generator (not shown).

6 designates a lid or cover which closes an opening at the upper end of the receptacle, the latter being charged or recharged with carbid through said opening and the gas tight manner by means, such as shown or otherwise.

The dotted line 7 indicates the height to which the receptacle may be charged or recharged and the indicating-device, designated by the numeral 8, is in the position shown in dotted line when charging, or re charging and may be retained in this position until the lid or cover is closed, by means' to be hereinafter described To the wall of the receptacle a stuffing box 9 is secured, in which is mounted for rocking motion a shaft 10, said shaft being bent inside the wall at 11, to provide an oblique portion 12 which terminates at the vertical center of the receptacle. At the inner terminal of this shaft a suitable weight 13 is provided which tends to swing the oblique portion of the shaft from the position shown in dotted lines to that shown in full lines, in Fig. 2; it being understood that the weight is always at the top of the carbid in the receptacle and as the carbid is being deposited into the gas-generator, the weight.

' or rechargingthe receptacle, to be passed through an opening 18 in a bracket 19 secured to the exterior of said receptacle in c u 11d or cover being sealed and clamped in a the plane of and above said stufling box. In this manner the indicator is retained in inactive or inoperative position, which assures the weighted end of the indicator shaft being held in a position above the carb'd, it being of course necessary in charging or recharging, that the receptacle be not filled to a point above the Weight 13.

When the receptacle is charged or recharged and the cover or lid replaced, the pin or bolt 17 is disengaged from the bracket 19. This permits the indicator-shaft to rock in its bearing in proportion to the feeding of the car-bid, the weighted oblique portion 12 of the shaft swinging as described, also the indicator arm 15. When the'latter approaches the position shown in Fig. 1 or assumes that position, it indicates that recharging is necessary and any intermediate position indicates the amount of carbid consumed.

It will be noted, upon examination of Fig. 1,'that when the indicator is at the end of its downward movement, there still remains a quantity of carbid in the receptacle to be fed into the gas generator. Such remaining quantity may be considered a factor of safety, which assures generation of gas for a certain period of time after the indicator arm shows the need of replenishing the receptacle.

' riiaaaa to rock as the carbid in the receptacle low-- er s, an indicating arm at the outer end of sa d shaft, a slide bolt at the outer end of said arm, and a bracket on the exterior surface of said receptacle having an opening into which said slide bolt is adapted to fit when said arm is in a. certain position.

2. The combination of a carbid receptacle, a shaft extending through the wall of said receptacle and adapted to rock as the carbid in said receptacle lowers, an indicating arm at the outer end of said shaft adapted to move in an arc of a circle, and means at the outer end of said arm adapted to engage a fixed part of said receptacle to retain said arm in its initial'position when charging or recharging said receptacle.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses;

WILLIAM F. SHAJV. "Witnesses M. C. HARKEY, C. S. HARKEY. 

